I want to do only those films which come from a real place.
Parvathy
There is such insecurity in loving that we see all the pros and cons and then decide how much we want to invest in relationships.
I believe that cinema is not only an artistic industry, but there is also a political activity.
We only fear what we don't understand, and I hate to be scared.
Unfairness is everywhere.
For me, talking about the casting couch in the Malayalam film industry was like calling the sky blue. There is nothing new about calling a spade a spade. My intention was not to create an effect; I just wanted to pluck a few weeds in the system and throw them out.
I grew up watching films that presented male perspectives of women.
I think cyberbullying someone who states their opinion, especially a woman, is sadly a norm these days, and it happens daily to not just stars/actors. We have to consistently condemn and shun it so that it never gets the power it doesn't deserve to have over the society.
We need storytelling from all angles. We need men, women, and trans people participating in all aspects of filmmaking; this is the only way we can depolarise the age-old standard of singular perspective.
My humble request to journalists - It only takes one phone call or an email to check facts.
Awards are like a pat of appreciation from the jury and viewers. It is almost like them saying, 'So, you have done well; we expect you to carry on doing good work.'
The lack of exposure to right perspective has caused me to be in abusive relationships. When a boy stubbed cigarette on my leg, I thought it was out of love. You know why? Because our films taught us slapping in the face was a way of expressing love.
I don't feel genres have helped me as an actor. Movies can be of any genre. But if you give me slapstick, I may not do it.
I play Sophie in 'Koode': a very strong and soft woman who has been through many atrocities yet holds herself together through conviction in herself.
If I have to change for a character, I need really logical reasons to look a certain way. Otherwise, I have finally cracked the code in being comfortable in my own skin regardless of what's fed to you of how you must look.
My talent is universal, and acting is a craft that can be used anywhere, unless ethnicity comes into play, and then, looks matter.
Everybody has a priority. Mine is simple and clean acting, and my work, irrespective of the industry I am in, will not cater to anything else.
I'm not saying I'm perfect. But I'm someone who analyses and reflects on what I do, whether it's in keeping with the ethics that I talk about in public. That's how I've been all my life.
I will keep repeating it until people get it - misogyny and violence and everything that's bad in our life and society should be reflected in our films. It's the glorification that is wrong.
Working with any senior actor is a learning experience, so getting to work with a thespian like Kamal Hassan was a memorable one.
When I look back, there isn't a single film that I would disown becaus,e with every film, I've learnt a lot.
The 'Qarib' team was energetic with an intimate way of working.
In the 11 years I've worked in films, I've realised that no one is indispensable, and that has actually been very comforting to know.
Women haven't stood together enough because women have been pitted against one another.
Survival is not just a physical thing. It's a constant mental affair. So, I kind of really draw a lot of power from that word.
If you want to do something, you'll find the space to do it.
Yes, I started out as an anchor on television, but that was just 'me being me,' trying to make some pocket money.
There is absolutely no wrong way to find love.
I only do few films, so when one comes out, it is a big deal for me.
Until 'Bangalore Days' happened, a huge commercial success had not happened to me.
If I don't get work, I'll create it.
I believe we need to learn from our past.
Even with me, there are so many things I have bottled up.
The commercial success that came with Anjali Menon's 'Bangalore Days' helped me in getting my work noticed.
As an actor, my body is my tool to flesh out the roles I play.
It is important to set an example.
As an artist, my only relationship to my audience is through my work. That relationship is sacred to me.
I don't believe in looking like a mannequin. I like my bulges and love handles, but fitness is important for me.
To be honest, I am not really excited by most of the offers I get.
If I am going to be phased out by whatever powers, then I want people to know that it is not because I am bad at my work.
My career has been driven with the hope of telling stories, as it helps me to judge people less.
The only kind of influence I want to be on anyone is by being, constantly and consistently, someone who probes herself at every juncture, improves the way in which she functions as a citizen, and questions the status quo.
I discovered that there was no difference between playing a real-life character and a fictional one.
We need women in cinema to know first that they have a safe space to open up about their struggles without being judged and marginalised.
Women need to tell their stories from their experiences, and that may not mean that it would be all stories with women as protagonists.
How sad is that life when a man thinks that his manliness comes with asking sexual favours from a woman. That's the saddest way of being a man.
I would want the audience to simply see the character I portray in each movie in its true essence because I feel acting is all about truthfully portraying the character.
Bollywood marketing is larger-than-life. Honestly, it amuses me.
I don't mind playing a supporting character if it has some substance.
Sometimes, the actual feeling of loving someone takes a back seat because we are busy defining it.
